April 6, 2017

Well, it seems I'm on another kick. I've discovered farro and I won't rest until I'm sick of it. However, when dishes like this one-pot wonder exist, I have my doubts that such a thing will ever happen!

Yep, to make this bowl of warm, cheesy, flavorful comfort food, all you need is a cutting board and one pan. Slice, chop, simmer, and devour--that's my kind of set of directions! It's almost unbelievable that something so deep in flavor would take so little time and effort to make, but it's true. I'm so glad I came across this recipe and I intend to make it time and time again.

Update: I already made this again, even before the post was ready for publishing, so I thought I'd add what I changed the second time. First of all, I toasted the farro until it began to smell nutty. I also used a whole onion, mostly because I hate having half an onion stinking up the fridge. Finally, I added 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the water before proceeding with the presoaking and the remainder of the recipe. I do love that sweet and sour combination, and it fit right in with this dish!

Directions:
Place the water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Thinly slice the onion into quarter-moons and add it to the saucepan.
Halve or quarter the tomatoes and add them to the pan as well.
Season everything in the pan with salt, pepper flakes, and olive oil.
Bring the uncovered pan up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes, the farro should be perfectly cooked and seasoned and the cooking water should be almost completely absorbed. If necessary, cook it for 5 additional minutes, until farro is more tender.
Transfer to a wide serving bowl.
Sprinkle on the mozzarella chunks, basil, Parmesan cheese, and balsamic reduction and serve immediately.

*Note on cooking farro: Pay attention to what kind you get! Pearled farro will take less time to cook than semi-pearled farro, which will take less time to cook than whole.